Boomer7595
Junior Member
State: MARYLAND
The crime: 6-402. Trespass on posted property
30+ acre private property - cultivated fields. Surrounded by State Park and public roadway.
Me - hiker following a well established unmarked trail through the Park that dumps out several times on the edge of the field. I follow along the edge of the field and resume the trail back into Park woods and then follow trail to where it comes to the edge of the open field which is 150 or so feet from the roadway. I follow that 150 feet of trail to the roadway. I then walk 1300 feet to my house further down the road.
The owner saw me walking the trail on the EDGE of their field to the roadway. They have to be lucky enough to be driving by on the road to notice. One year ago this happened and I simply told the owner my name and told him do what you have to do - I'm hiking. Police didn't do anything. Fast forward - now year later. They see me again. They call the police. I'm finished the hike and am at home sipping wine and petting the dogs when the police come. (it takes them a long time to come to our remote end of the county) I admit it and cooperate completely.
It's weird to have a trail(s) take me through the Park and then in and out of private property and again through private property to the roadway. Unfortunately there is no other reasonable way to avoid that 150 feet of private property to get to the road. It's overrun with thick brush, briars, rocks, ditches.
History: I've been hiking various trails and have used this particular 150 ft stretch and it's trail as my means of egress and ingress for 6 years. Last two years it has been posted. That seems to coincide with the Park making the area an "unmanaged hunting area". Hunters do use the area. The adjacent owners of "the" private property hunt too. I never hunt, shoot, destroy, trash... I simply hike. It's a simple, innocent pleasure in life I enjoy. It's odd to be my age, professional, no record, and think I'm a criminal. The whole thing is out of my element. Humourous at some level, silly too, but I have to take it serious. I wonder where this stands relative to all the activity that must pass through the MD judicial system.
So I guess I'm a evil hiker criminal facing up to 90 days in jail and $500.
What to do?
What is the name of your state? MD
The crime: 6-402. Trespass on posted property
30+ acre private property - cultivated fields. Surrounded by State Park and public roadway.
Me - hiker following a well established unmarked trail through the Park that dumps out several times on the edge of the field. I follow along the edge of the field and resume the trail back into Park woods and then follow trail to where it comes to the edge of the open field which is 150 or so feet from the roadway. I follow that 150 feet of trail to the roadway. I then walk 1300 feet to my house further down the road.
The owner saw me walking the trail on the EDGE of their field to the roadway. They have to be lucky enough to be driving by on the road to notice. One year ago this happened and I simply told the owner my name and told him do what you have to do - I'm hiking. Police didn't do anything. Fast forward - now year later. They see me again. They call the police. I'm finished the hike and am at home sipping wine and petting the dogs when the police come. (it takes them a long time to come to our remote end of the county) I admit it and cooperate completely.
It's weird to have a trail(s) take me through the Park and then in and out of private property and again through private property to the roadway. Unfortunately there is no other reasonable way to avoid that 150 feet of private property to get to the road. It's overrun with thick brush, briars, rocks, ditches.
History: I've been hiking various trails and have used this particular 150 ft stretch and it's trail as my means of egress and ingress for 6 years. Last two years it has been posted. That seems to coincide with the Park making the area an "unmanaged hunting area". Hunters do use the area. The adjacent owners of "the" private property hunt too. I never hunt, shoot, destroy, trash... I simply hike. It's a simple, innocent pleasure in life I enjoy. It's odd to be my age, professional, no record, and think I'm a criminal. The whole thing is out of my element. Humourous at some level, silly too, but I have to take it serious. I wonder where this stands relative to all the activity that must pass through the MD judicial system.
So I guess I'm a evil hiker criminal facing up to 90 days in jail and $500.
What to do?
What is the name of your state? MD